Us
by Caitiri
Summary: They thought nothing happened. They were wrong.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: These characters belong to Jonathan Larson. I'm just having fun with them._

_I know this story line has done before but I'm trying my own hand at it. Thanks to Kika as usual._

Quiet. Majority of times I avoid it. The silence overwhelms you and encircles you, forcing you to think and wonder. I don't believe in thinking; I believe in instinct, gut urges. But right now I need quiet. I need to think and wonder.

I can find the inner silence I seek here with the calming sounds of creaking swings and the children's laughter that is carried by the breeze. Slowly I swing back and forth in my swing, my mind going to images of several weeks before.

_Crying, I pound on his loft's door. I know that Mark will be there ready to comfort me; to hold me, tell me that everything will be fine, and ensure me that Joanne will take me back. He opens the door just like I knew he would, and just like clockwork I storm into the loft head in my hands. I tell him in between sobs how Joanne kicked me out after I was openly flirting with our waitress at the restaurant. I look up expecting to find his warm gaze but instead his eyes were ice. _

_"Maureen, I love you and I have never denied it, but I'm sick of you running over here whining about you and Joanne. I can't stand this. It hurts every time I look at you knowing that I can never have you. It's pure agony having you cry and depending on me for one night and then knowing the next day you will leave me again."_

_I looked up, speechless. This couldn't be my Marky? The sweet, pushover, who always turns a blind eye when I came to him smelling of other's men aftershave? The person I knew who would always be there no matter what? Intrigued I wonder if I could melt this exterior. If he was still mine despite his brave talk. Standing up from I take his head in my hands and bring his face down to mine. At first he resists, but I keep persisting. He growls deep in his throat, and shoves me into his room. It was fast and hurried. Afterwards I left the loft as if nothing has happened, leaving him asleep in his bed. He was wrong; it was not even midnight yet._

Whenever I saw Mark afterwards we acted like nothing happened. Pretend that it didn't happen and maybe you'll forget that it did. Yet something did happen. Something big.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I myself hate it when authors take forever to update so I feel really badly. As I mentioned in my other story, I lost my beta so sorry for any grammatical errors. **

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. I'm just having fun with them.

A thousand images reeled through my mind, like a projector gone out of control. It absorbed me, making me unable to concentrate on anything that was not going on behind my eyelids. I don't know how long I sat by the widow absorbed in my thoughts. I barely noticed Roger saying that Mimi and him were heading down to Life. I was too busy watching an- out- of control suspense movie. Only this wasn't fiction; it was real.

_I'm happy for Roger and Mimi. Really, I'm. But there are times where I can only stand so much of them "being together." When times like that occur I normally make a beeline for the door with camera in hand. As I walked outside, I breathed in the smoggy air. Ahhh, New York, no other place like it. I stepped onto the sidewalk, merging with the other some -odd million people in the city. I traveled with no particular destination in mind. Art comes to you, you can't go looking for it. I reveled in the sounds of the city. The nameless voices, car horns honking, the hundreds of feet scurrying. _

"_Mark!" I turned around to look for the voice, and spotted Maureen, who was waving frantically. She was several yards behind me. Ever since that night I've felt guarded around her. It was a line that we crossed that could never be erased. I waited until she caught up with me until I started walking again. "Maureen." I said, not looking at her. _

"Mark." I finally break and look at her straight in the face. For a split second I saw an emotion I never thought I would see on her face fear, but it happened so fast I wasn't even sure that I saw it. Her face was back to normal. Flustered with excitement, she clapped her hands together.

"I'm so glad I ran into you. I have a great new idea for my new protest."

"Not now Maureen."

"Marky." She whined, batting her eyelashes at me. I sigh, as much as I hate to admit she had me cornered.

"Fine Maureen, what's your great idea?" She giggled knowing that I would fall into her trap anyway.

"Marky, have you ever noticed how many poor kids there are hanging around here? Well, wouldn't it be great if I could incorporate them into my shows? Of course the theme of the shows would focus on the kids."

I look at her while she's telling me this.

"Maureen, you do realize that this is not some project you can dumb and leave the kids hanging. Kid's don't work like that. I don't think it is a good idea Maureen." I shake my head to emphasize the point.

"What Mark you don't think I could pull it off? I wouldn't let the kids hanging."

"Maureen, let's face it, your not exactly known to be responsible or maternal." Maureen looked at me her face had lost all its color. Tears then began to pour out of her eyes. I stood there in shock, what on earth did I say that make her react this way? I reached out to grab for her but she shoved me away. She bursted off already pushing past people. Sighing I reach up to catch up to her. Fortunately for me the sidewalks were so crowded that I easily caught up to her grabbing her hand.

"Maureen what is your problem?" I asked partially out of breath. She turned to me her face all splotchy.

"You said I wasn't 'maternal'. If you don't want it then fine, but don't tell me what I should do." She hissed pulling her hand back.

"Huh?" Was all I could manage.

"What do you mean 'huh'? As if you already don't know. Oh just go away Mark. It's all your fault just go away and I'll deal with it on my own."

"Maureen for the last time what on earth is wrong with you?"

"I'm pregnant!"

I swear for a second nothing processed in my brain. It was a total blank slate. I doubt if you asked me my name I would have been able to tell you. Then unfortunately it all came crashing back.

"Pregnant," was all I managed to croak out .I sounded like I was thirteen and my voice was just starting to break. Maureen nodded. A pit suddenly erupted in my stomach. Maureen bit her lip and quickly lost her self in the crowd. I stumbled back to the loft, I probably look like a drunk with my erratic walking. I didn't know what to think. Did I even want to be a father? It was something I never pictured for myself and if I did it was something so far down the road I didn't even see the 500 mile mark. But now I just passed you have arrived sign. How could we even take care of a child? I mean good grief I was finally being able to take care of myself. But add a child into the mix?

I barley heard Roger and Mimi say they were leaving for Life.


End file.
